Gone but Not Forgotten
by dreamsofyesterday1
Summary: Part 4 of the 'Robyn' series. This is a short story set ten years after part 3. Sportacus and Robyn share old memories and tears. Rated K


Gone but Not Forgotten

Disclaimer: All usual disclaimers apply. Robyn and Lily are mine.

Part four of the 'Robyn' series.

A light brown falcon flew over Lazytown, its feathers shining where the sun touched them. Below the falcon stood a girl watching it intently as it swooped and swirled through the air. With its keen vision the hawk could see the girl's smile as she ran around following the path the bird was taking albeit on the ground while the bird was in the air. The falcon watched as the girl stopped and raised her arm which had a brown glove on it. The glove covered most of the girl's arm and the flacon heard her beat the glove with her other hand while calling to it. Without resistance the falcon made its descent towards the girl and came to land on her glove. The girl smiled and reaching into a small bag by her side pulled out a small rodent and the falcon gratefully accepted its prize.

"Robyn! That was great! You're getting much better at that now, I love watching you fly Erin," Ziggy called running up to Robyn.

"Thanks for saying so; I'm glad you liked it. If you're lucky I might let you have a try one day." Robyn smiled looking at Ziggy; the bond formed between them in childhood was still strong ten years later.

"I'd like that. I hope I won't hurt her or anything,"

"You won't hurt her, she flies by instinct and will stay out of the way of any obstacles. It's just getting her back which is the hard part."

Robyn moved her arm upwards sharply and Erin took off to flying again. Robyn had saved Erin some years before from the town's resident cat when Erin had been but a fledgling. Robyn had reared Erin with great care and had been repaid by Erin becoming a faithful friend and even though she wasn't a pet as such lived with Robyn as a pet would. Robyn had learnt the art of falconry and practiced every day with Erin, her skills improving more and more.

At the age of fourteen as she now was Robyn's character remained the same as it had done when she was four. She was still very caring, sympathetic, pretty, and considerate. She was much more emotionally mature than a lot of children her age, her past experiences making this so. The first couple of years after Robbie's death and her subsequent kidnapping had been very hard for her but she'd never been bitter about what had happened. She showed a remarkable strength and tenacity when it came to dealing with tragedies. Upon coming back to Lazytown after being discharged from the hospital Sportacus had taken full care of Robyn and had had the airship adapted so she could live with him. Every week Robyn would lay a flower from her own garden on the spot where Robbie had died, she still didn't know the circumstances of his death and had many times sought to find the answer.

Robyn's flower garden had been placed in a rarely used corner of the town and was extremely beautiful and well tended. Robyn had gotten into horticulture at the age of ten. She found that it helped her through bad times and always made her feel better. Her flowers were also extremely popular and could be seen on every window sill or kitchen table in Lazytown. On every anniversary of Robbie's death each year Robyn would go to Robbie's grave and place a bunch of flowers upon it. She would spend many an hour there, sometimes crying and sometimes talking to ears she thought couldn't hear.

Sportacus smiled as he saw Erin fly past the airship. He had protested to having her living in the airship but had relented after several full powered puppy dog looks from Robyn. Going to one of the storage alcoves Sportacus grabbed his falconer's glove. Standing on the platform of the airship which also served as the door Sportacus hit his glove and called to Erin. Erin obediently flew to Sportacus and landed on his glove. Sportacus looked down and could see Robyn standing with her hands on her hips and stuck his tongue out at her playfully. Robyn stuck her tongue out in answer and both laughed. Sportacus shook his head and went back into the airship, the door closing behind him.

"I better get going; its lunch time and you know how the blue brigade likes me back for meal times." Robyn smiled and gave Ziggy a hug farewell.

As if sensing that Robyn was going to come back up the ladder fell ready for her to climb it. Taking a last look at Ziggy and smiling Robyn climbed the ladder back up to the airship. Robyn really liked Ziggy and he liked her too. Neither of them knew what kind of relationship they had; best friends or more of a brother/sister relationship but both knew that whatever it was they were very close.

Robyn was back in the airship in no time. Erin was tethered to the horizontal rail that Sportacus had used to use when he flipped into the pilot seat of the airship; Robyn gave her another morsel before putting her glove and bag away.

"You're almost as good as me with getting Erin to come to you." Robyn commented.

"I know, in time I could even be better than you." Sportacus answered with mock pride and his arms folded.

Robyn walked up to him and playfully flicked her long light brown hair in his face, "don't flatter yourself," Robyn teased.

Sportacus chuckled and shrugged. Going over to the appropriate touch pad Sportacus activated the kitchen and started to prepare lunch. It was with dread that he heard the following question asked of him:

"How did daddy die?"

Robyn's question caught Sportacus entirely off guard. It had come out of the blue and he didn't know what to say or do. Robyn had asked a few times and he'd always managed to deflect her but knew that this time she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Tell me," Robyn stated plainly sensing Sportacus' inner conflict, "It's been nearly ten years to the day since it happened and I have a right to know. I want to know."

Sportacus took a deep breath and spoke without turning to face Robyn, "he was murdered."

Robyn blinked back tears, she'd never expected to hear anything as bad as this as the reason for her father's demise. "Murdered? Here? Who killed him?"

"My sister, your mother." Sportacus was blinking back his own tears now. He hadn't wanted to tell Robyn the truth but it was time she knew.

"My mother killed my father? Why?"

"She was evil Robyn," Sportacus said turning to face the girl, "that's the only way I can describe her. She was everything you're not; she was cruel, vicious, mocking and full of hate. I tried to stop her killing Robbie but I was too late. She'd tricked me into believing she was dead and while I was out of town at the cemetery trying to find where she was being buried she struck. When I found there was no funeral I came straight back but I was too late."

Robyn was thunderstruck. She hadn't known any of this but her heart told her the words that she must speak and they were the sincerest words anyone had ever spoken, "I don't blame you."

Sportacus felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders at these words, a weight of guilt he'd carried for years. He wasn't sure what the words were, "what?"

"I don't blame you. You were tricked and couldn't have known what was happening. You tried to save him and that means a terrific amount. I don't blame you for what happened to him,"

Sportacus' heart soared. He choked back a sob and despite the tears running freely down his cheeks he smiled. He'd always dreaded telling Robyn how her father had been killed because he thought she would blame and chastise him. Those four words she had said had dissipated the guilt he'd carried and lifted his heavy heart, 'I don't blame you.'

Robyn was crying now too and Sportacus grabbed her and pulled her into a fierce hug. They stood in the hug for some time before Sportacus let Robyn go. He looked deeply into her clear blue eyes and smiled faintly.

"What happened to my mother?" Robyn asked with a slight tremor in her voice.

"She died not long after Robbie, on the same day."

"She's lucky,"

Sportacus looked puzzled at this remark, "what do you mean?"

"If she wasn't dead already I'd have killed her myself."

Sportacus wasn't surprised by this comment, he'd felt the same way many a time and if it hadn't have been for Lily knocking him out with a stone he would have killed her.

For many hours Sportacus and Robyn shared reminiscences of the man who was gone but by no means forgotten. A father and friend to all, a tortured soul who had found complete happiness with his daughter and man who's life had been cut short in the most tragic of ways and times. Robbie Rotten.


End file.
